boredsilly

Ok, sounds good. I'll put it in the queueueue of runs I need to read. It's nice having so many runs I want to get to, but also kind of daunting. It's like when you're little and have a whole slew of chores to do...you just don't know where to start(or in my case, continue).

slop101

It's the goddamn Batman!!!

This book is satire - it has to be.

MovieExchange

I still believe that Frank Miller is tired of being asked to write Batman, and this is his big "fuck you" to the people that keep asking.

slop101

I thought that was Dark Knight 2...

Superboy

I thought it was funny/brilliant from day one. I think it's Frank Miller's way of poking at everyone that thinks that Batman has to be violent/insane to be a good character. Even his Year One Batman had influences from the campy Adam West Batman stories. And remember, the Adam West Batman DID save the franchise when it was sinking.

boredsilly

I thought All Star Bats was whack at first. I just didn't get the point, and maybe I still don't but I freaking love the book now. It is so out there and crazy. I've just decided to go with it and since then I've really been having a blast with the book.

Bring on the Absolute

MovieExchange

I just can't stand Miller's sad writing anymore. It's not intentional. It can't be. Issue 3 was an absolute mess. We got what... 4 pages of Batman, and those were splash pages. We paid for All-Star Batman and got All-Star Black Canary. Even worse, Miller took a story that could have been told in 2, maybe 3 pages, and dragged it on through almost the entire book. No, it's not a funny take on Batman or an alternate take, it's a writer that just doesn't give a shit anymore.

boredsilly

Oh, but I think it is very intentional. Miller is (or even if you would rather say "was") too good of a writer and too prolific to not be doing exactly what he set out to do. I think he did it in Dark Knight Strikes Again and I think he's doing it here. Whether people like that or not is a different thing all together. It's not like Miller has to write comics to feed his family, so I really doubt he would be doing these series now if he didn't want to. I just think he's having fun and doing exactly what he wants with one of DC's biggest toys.

It's funny you say issue 3 was a mess as that is the one that brought it home for me. I thought it was an awesome introduction to this version of Black Canary and was the first clue that this series is as much about vigilante's and people who take up a mantle to fight crime as it is about Batman (we have Canary, Robin, Batgirl - all coming to crime fighting in a different way). At least that is what I'm getting from the series.

I see this argument all the time and it drives me loony. I know comics have adopted a more relaxed pace of telling stories these days, but who are we to say something could and should have been done in fewer pages? Does pacing have no place at all in comics? Also Miller couldn't have told the same story in 2-3 pages because it wouldn't have been the same story. I mean every story can be condensed or expanded, but I like to think writers use the space they are giving in a way that they believe enriches the story.

Looking at the issue now I don't feel like the Canary portion of the book dragged or was too long. I also wouldn't view the splash pages as a hindrance to the story. It's Jim Lee, heavy use of splash pages can't be surprising.

I'm not surprised you don't like the book. It's an obviously pretty polarizing and you aren't alone in your feelings. I'm just trying to speak for the people who think ASB is kind of awesome.

Bronkster

Gotta say that I really like the cover of Wolverine #55 (on newsstands now!) - There are two covers, and the one I like is the EC take-off - it's also a bit spoilerish, so be warned. But for that matter, a guy in the comic store blathered the ending as I was picking up the issue so I didn't really have any surprises to deal with any more.

Spoilerizing comments for those who haven't read it yet:

Superboy

This Week:

The Sinestro Corps War continues, and is shaping up to be DC's best story in years, topping even Infinite Crisis both in size and scope. It's amazing that such a mainstream work can generate actual tension - something that has been missing from the big two's books for years. We know the main characters will make it out alive, but offing massive amounts of Red Shirts in the process actually manages to carry weight.

As Y: The Last Man is wrapping up, it's nice to see that it's leaving somewhat of a legacy in The Walking Dead. This issue absolutely CONFIRMS that Michonne is directly lifted from Agent 355. The mysterious, tough-as-nails black woman who silently cuts down any danger in the path of her ward. However, she lacks none of 355's personality.

Giantrobo

Sinestro and his Corps is bringing all manner of whoop ass at this point.